Amica Center denounces the Trump Administration’s invocation of wartime powers to fuel his deportation regime.  

This weekend, the Trump Administration arrested and sent more than 250 Venezuelans to El Salvador after formally invoking the Alien Enemies Act, the same law used to justify incarcerating Japanese Americans during World War II. Many of the Venezuelans still have pending immigration court hearings in the U.S. This is an unprecedented escalation of Trump’s war against immigrant families and making his actions even more deplorable; his administration ignored a Federal Judge’s Order to turn the airplanes around and return the Venezuelans to the U.S.

The Alien Enemies Act is from 1798 and grants a president sweeping authority during times of war or invasion by a foreign nation or government. The law has only been used three times in our country’s history: during the War of 1812, World War I, and World War II.  This cannot happen again. 

Combining that sweeping authority with the racist and xenophobic agenda of this administration is a terrifying new development.  

If Trump succeeds, he will absolutely use this power to target every noncitizen he sees as an enemy of his “regime.” Your voice is needed now!  

“What we have seen over the past several days is a breakdown in the constitutional checks and balances that most of us learned about in grade school. This is another test by the Trump Administration to see what they can get away with,” said Michael Lukens, Executive Director of Amica Center. “When we see a President use a wartime powers law during peacetime to arrest people he disdains and then ignore a Federal Judge’s order to cease and desist, it becomes clear that Trump is trying to instill an authoritarian regime.”  

The Alien Enemies Act gives presidents the power to ignore due process and round up noncitizens for arrest, detention, and deportation – including visa holders, asylum seekers, and green card holders.  The law may only be invoked if Congress has declared war or an “invasion or predatory incursion is perpetrated, attempted, or threatened against the territory of the United States by any foreign nation or government.” Neither of these scenarios has happened, making this invocation unconstitutional.  

The President has proclaimed that the criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) is invading our country, and this allows him to invoke the Act. He has ordered that all Venezuelans who are alleged members of TdA be arrested and deported. This will lead to countless wrongful arrests and deportations as Venezuelans living peacefully in communities nationwide are swept up in this effort. 

But we will continue to hold the line. 

The U.S. is not being invaded by Venezuela. We are not at war with Venezuela. The only war is Trump’s war against the rule of law, the Constitution, and fundamental American values.  

Your voice is needed now. Please help us fight back by calling your representatives today.